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Help, I think my son is a savage!

My son is 3 weeks old and is or seems to be always hungry. I was finding this very stressful it seemed that he was hungry as soon as I was done breastfeeding. I decided to pump and breastfeed, that way my husband could help. He is eating about 4oz every 3hrs and though I am producing enough I am worried he is eating too much. He does not vomit anything afterwards but it seems like so much more than what other people say they are feeding their child. My mom says that if he is satisfied and not vomiting afterwards it should be okay but I am nervous to tell my pediatrician how much he is eating.

Re: Help, I think my son is a savage!

Originally Posted by @llli*samsmom106

My son is 3 weeks old and is or seems to be always hungry. I was finding this very stressful it seemed that he was hungry as soon as I was done breastfeeding. I decided to pump and breastfeed, that way my husband could help. He is eating about 4oz every 3hrs and though I am producing enough I am worried he is eating too much. He does not vomit anything afterwards but it seems like so much more than what other people say they are feeding their child. My mom says that if he is satisfied and not vomiting afterwards it should be okay but I am nervous to tell my pediatrician how much he is eating.

Re: Help, I think my son is a savage!

with the previous question- are you currently pumping exclusively, or are you breastfeeding as well?

There's a HUGE growth spurt around 3 weeks, during which you can expect your baby to feed round the clock, and to increase his feeding frequency.

That being said, it is absolutely normal for a breastfed baby to eat frequently, growth spurt or not. Breastmilk digests fast (in about 90 minutes) and baby tummies are tiny.

You may have heard or read that babies "should" feed only every X number of hours, but that's bad, old advice from the days when formula-feeding was standard and medical "experts" thought that paying attention to babies caused psychological harm. It also stems from the observed feeding patterns of formula-fed infants: formula digests slow (not better, just slower!) and sits heavy on a small tummy, and when you're feeding exclusively via bottle it is very easy to consistently overfeed your baby. Therefore, formula-fed infants often "naturally" go longer between feedings than breastfed ones. But that does not mean that going longer between feedings is normal, or in any way better.

Re: Help, I think my son is a savage!

Congrats on your little one!

As far as nursing constantly goes, it is totally normal for a newborn to be hungry immediately after nursing. Most moms find that the first 8 weeks are spent nursing....but it does get so much better! Hang in there mama! He will probably want to nurse constantly for a while but after the first few months are over many babies will go a few hours between feedings.

I saw a comparison chart once of the work involved in nursing vs. bottle feeding. The first six weeks nursing involved more "work" than bottles. But after that the "work" involved was much lower in nursing vs. bottle feeding. I forget what book that was in as I have read a lot of books about nursing.

~ Theresa
wife to Mike and mommy to Clara (9-5-08) 2 years and going strong!!

Re: Help, I think my son is a savage!

I am pumping and nursing, though I tend to pump/bottle feed more often. I was very overwhelmed with nurisng when we first brought our son home...it seemed as if he was nursing every hour.....and when people would come to see the baby, he and I spent most of the time in another room. Though that was not the reason I wanted to pump. I wanted to pump mostly for the reason that I would know how much he was eating, because he was so hungry so frequently. The first evening we were home, my Mom was over and I fed him for about 10 mins at each breast, he seemed so hungry as soon as I was done, my mom suggested that we try one of the formula bottles that the hospital gave in "free gift bag." He immediatley ate the whole 2oz bottle. I was so upset that I had not been feeding him appropriatley I decided to pump. At first I had to supplement with formula, until I was able to produce enough milk. Now, I am producing very well, I have been able to go back to nursing as well as pumping but he eats so much I was worried he is going to be obese.

Re: Help, I think my son is a savage!

So exactly how much is he eating per session?

We've made it 1 YEAR

A newborn baby has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three. ~Grantly Dick-Read

Re: Help, I think my son is a savage!

Sorry that info would have helped right? He is eating about 4 oz of breast milk from the bottle every2-4 hours. He usually goes about 3 hours....and when he nurses he goes for about 10 mins each breast. He does not vomit or even spit up, I think he has probally only spit up a handful of times. Other sources on line seem to thing that is way too much, and then the same websites that claimed he was eating too much, said that some babies eat 2oz every 1.5-3 hrs. If they are eating 2oz every 1.5hrs that is the same as my little guy! But some sites make you super paranoid.

Re: Help, I think my son is a savage!

Great, Momma....And so sorry, I forgot...

I would not worry about your son being obese...
It sounds like you are breastfeeding more often, correct?
BF'd babies cannot overeat but bottle fed babies can.
If he's a good eater, you must keep him to the breast as much as possible.
It's important to build AND maintain your supply. Once growth spurts hit, he will need to ensure your supply is adequate for his needs. It's all about supply and demand.
When DS seemed to nurse *forever* - I used to 'wear' him and let him nurse when ever he wanted since I could get things done.
HTH - let us know how we can help you!

We've made it 1 YEAR

A newborn baby has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three. ~Grantly Dick-Read

Re: Help, I think my son is a savage!

I can totally understand the impulse to pump and bottle-feed- it's reassuring to know exactly how much your baby is eating, and liberating to be able to fill the baby's tummy in 10 minutes instead of an hour!- but in the long run, nursing is much, much, much easier than pumping. So I really encourage you to try to master breastfeeding straight from the tap.

Here's why it's generally easier to nurse than to pump:
- It's much harder to maintain/increase supply by pumping than allowing your baby to regulate supply naturally through breastfeeding. Many moms who pump exclusively struggle with supply, because the pump does not remove milk as effectively as a baby does.
- Breastfeeding gets faster as the baby grows, with many babies getting a full meal in under 10 minutes at the breast. Pumping never takes less time. If it takes you 20 minutes to pump today, it will take you 20 minutes to pump a year from now, and you'll need to find that time while caring for an increasingly mobile baby.
- With practice, breastfeeding can be done very discreetly and quickly. Pumping- not so much!
- Breastmilk from the breast is always immediately available, always clean, and always at the right temperature. You can't forget your breasts at home, drop them on the floor, and they don't go sour in the heat. There's no worries about storage, and no bottles to wash.
- The breast is more than food- it's comfort. As your baby gets older, breastfeeding becomes the handiest mothering tool. Your baby bumps his head, or is teething, or gets a shot- nursing soothes him immediately.

He is eating about 4 oz of breast milk from the bottle every2-4 hours. He usually goes about 3 hours....and when he nurses he goes for about 10 mins each breast. He does not vomit or even spit up, I think he has probally only spit up a handful of times. Other sources on line seem to thing that is way too much, and then the same websites that claimed he was eating too much, said that some babies eat 2oz every 1.5-3 hrs. If they are eating 2oz every 1.5hrs that is the same as my little guy! But some sites make you super paranoid.

Websites can make you crazy! It sounds like you are offering the right amount of milk over the course of the day. But while some nursing 3 week-olds are eating 4 oz or so every 3 hours, it's probably more common for them to be eating around 2 oz every 1.5-2 hours. Offering smaller amounts of milk more frequently may help your baby transition to breastfeeding straight from the tap. And I hate to add to the super-paranoia, but offering larger amounts of milk can stretch out a baby's stomach, making him more apt to want larger and larger amounts of food, even though it's more than he really needs.